'MY MUM SAVED ME'

Baby blues

Treatments available to women with mental health problems include counselling, talking therapy and medication.

Professor Daniel Keenan, associate medical director at Manchester University Hospitals who helped draft the new Nice guidance, said: “Symptoms of mental health problems can be masked during pregnancy, and the post-natal period.

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Cases of post-natal depression are being missed, health experts warned, because they are confused with "what's considered normal" for new mums

“We recommend that clinicians ensure new mothers are asked about their mental health so that these symptoms are not overlooked and women are not left to suffer in silence.

“Giving women the right treatment at the right time can have a profound effect - not just for the mother, but her family too.”

The new guidance also states women should be asked about their mental state at their first midwife appointment when they are around two months pregnant.

Pregnant women and new mums are at risk of several disorders alongside depression, including panic disorder, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and tokophobia – the extreme fear of childbirth.

Women who already had a mental health issue before pregnancy may see their symptoms getting worse, while new changes - such as weight gain - can trigger or exacerbate eating disorders.

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